It is all about the process. Everything you do is about the process. So the question is, “Do you know how to create a new business process”? How do you build a process? This post will show you the steps on how to do that!
Identify the Problem Requiring a New Process
What is the problem you are trying to solve?
How many people does the business process affect, how often, and in what ways?
Is there a company policy or standard that most closely resembles your desired process? How much would it cost to change this existing policy/standard instead of creating something new?
Who else might have this same need and be impacted by our decision (i.e., other departments)? What is their opinion on using an already established solution versus rolling out a new one for everyone involved?
Should this process involve multiple steps or just one step at a time with different groups assigned different tasks during the overall process flow – i.e., “do A before B”?” Which group(s) will use this process?
Your process needs to solve a problem, and it is your job to identify that problem before you start. Business processes must be very specific and make it easier for the employees to do their jobs. Therefore, a particular process needs to address a particular problem. This is why you create processes after identifying the problem.
Brainstorm Possible Solutions
Brainstorm solutions before you start. Start by thinking of the problem and what a good solution might be to that problem, including how it will affect people. You can also use tactics such as brainstorming pros and cons for possible ideas if needed or talking with others about their thoughts on different process possibilities.
This list should include both your short-term goals (i.e., “We want to increase sales”) along with long-term goals (“We want our employees to have more flexibility in their work schedules”).
Once you’ve identified all the problems this new process needs to solve, then prioritize them on which ones are most important now versus later down the road when things get hectic.
Your processes will dictate what direction you take future operations. Perhaps you need a sales process? Maybe you should use process maps? Building processes will become something you do regularly in your business. These processes, when successfully implemented, will help you manage your company more efficiently. They will give your project manager direction. You will all know what steps exactly to take to get to the final output.
Choose a Solution
What is a process? A process is an orderly set of steps used for producing repetitive results. It’s often something that can be measured or counted. (Moore)
Processes simplify jobs into smaller chunks and help make sure nothing falls through the cracks.”(Lovett) From this definition, we know that when designing new processes, it needs to communicate with everyone involved because, without their input, there will be flaws in the final product. (Burns) The design must also consider current workflows and not disrupt them too much while implementing changes for improvement. (Nailer)
You have to involve other stakeholders to make a process that works best for your business. Using the right tools will also be necessary.
Create a Timeline
Have a timeline for when you want to implement this change and how you want it to be measured so that everyone is on the same page.
You have to include who will do what and when for everything to go smoothly.
This change should also be measurable so as not to get lost in translation or overlooked because there are too many moving pieces. This way, people can keep track of progress and see if there were any problems with the process being used, which would make modifying it easier down the line.” (Nailer)
The teams working on these processes will work better if they have a timeline for implementation. The timeline will also guide you towards the right tools.
Communicate with Employees
Communicating with employees about the changes and making sure they are on board will also help them better understand how this new process will work. Communicating with your fellow managers can be helpful as well.
The change has to be measured in order for progress to be monitored.
You will need to collect data and analyze it. This can be done by the Quality Assurance team or a newly hired quality assurance person. Just like you wouldn’t put out a product that hadn’t been thoroughly tested, never put out a process that has not been thoroughly tested. This is a critical step that many businesses miss. Don’t allow your teams to skip this step. You are responsible (as the business owner) for the success or failure of the process creation workflows.
Implement the Changes
The way you implement the processes you create will ultimately determine if they succeed or fail. Take the time to roll them out slowly. Give your employees time to get used to the new processes. Allow them to give feedback and suggest changes.
Never dump a bunch of changes on your staff all at once. It will hurt them rather than help them. It will also render your testing useless as processes could work but appear not to because of the lack of time the employees had to understand them.
